Debt of Dishonour Book I: The Admiral's Request
Part II
After breakfast the rain finally ceased and the weather cleared. Edward headed for the stables while his two officers, carrying buckets, headed for the lake to check on the condition of the boat. It was as well that they had brought buckets for the boat was half full of water.
As they began to bail it out Archie decided that perhaps they might as well pull it out of the water for the season.
"Oh, you never know. We might get a few more sunny days," Horatio disagreed.
"It's not going to be so sunny when you give Edward that invitation!" Archie reminded him, emptying yet another bucket into the flooded lake.
"Oh, Lord, I'd almost forgotten!"
"What did you do with it?"
"It's in my pocket."
"Well, it's tonight. You have to give it to him!"
"Damn! All right. After we've finished with the boat," Horatio muttered, dipping the bucket into the boat yet again.
*
As they returned to the house they found Edward in the garden checking on the damage from the previous night's wind.
Archie nudged Horatio.
"Edward?" Horatio began.
"Good God, look at that branch!" Edward exclaimed, having spotted a huge tree branch lying on the ground. "That's one of the oldest beeches on the estate," he mused, inspecting the damaged tree. "Still, more firewood for winter, eh?"
Behind Edward's back Archie nudged Horatio again.
"How is the boat?" Edward queried.
"We bailed her out," Archie replied.
"Edward?" Horatio began again.
Edward promptly forgot about the tree and turned to them expectantly.
"Yes?"
"Edward, um, we need to speak to you," Horatio stumbled.
Edward gazed from one to the other. "I am here, my dears. What troubles you?"
"Perhaps it would be better to discuss this indoors," Archie ventured.
Edward gazed uncertainly from one to the other. "As you say. Come then."
After changing out of their muddy boots they repaired to the sunny morning room.
Edward sat down and waited for them to say whatever it was they had to say to him. Horatio remained silent as he handed him the envelope.
As Edward took it he noticed the seal, and recognised it, while Archie's eyes met Horatio's in shared apprehension.
After reading the contents of the single sheet of paper, Edward said nothing, merely stood and walked over to the nearest window where the early morning sun shone through trees which were already losing their leaves.
He turned to face them once more. "You both knew about this?"
They nodded.
"I see. Well, then, there is nothing to be done, and we are obliged to go."
Again they nodded.
"What concerns me is the man's reference to you two." He held out the note for them to peruse. "You will note that I am to bring 'my two most loyal and excellent officers Lieutenants Hornblower and Kennedy'."
Silence reigned. The younger men looked at the floor, out the window, at the paintings of ships on the walls - in fact, anywhere but at their commanding officer.
"You have both informed me of the events of yesterday morning. I trust that there is nothing more to be said on the subject?"
They shook their heads.
"Very good. Then let us pray that the subject will not be mentioned while we are guests of the Admiral this evening."
"Of course there was the Admiral's guest," Archie blurted.
Edward noted that Horatio clenched his jaw at the mention of the guest.
"What guest?"
"There was a man who was a guest of the Admiral, but he would be gone by now. He said that he was returning home post haste."
"Then I think that we need not concern ourselves in that direction. Would you agree, my dears?"
They both nodded. However, they remained quiet, Horatio's unhappy expression reflected in Archie's face.
Edward stepped closer to them, reaching out to take their hands. "It's all right, my dears. It's all right."
"Oh, Edward, if we'd known that... that..." Horatio faltered.
"I mean we never would have..." Archie began.
"No, never!" Horatio interjected. "Not if we'd realised that you... that your reputation would suffer as a result of our foolish actions."
"Oh, Edward, can you ever forgive us?" Archie implored.
Edward shushed them both. "There is nothing to forgive, my loves. Nothing!" he emphasised. "My reputation is not at stake and I shall see to it that yours too remains intact."
"Even after...?" Horatio queried.
"You mean in spite of," Archie muttered unhappily.
Edward slipped his arms around them to embrace them both.
"Come, come, my dears! You were not entirely at fault in your decision to consult Admiral Briggs. Oh, perhaps a little foolish, I grant you that, but you were not to know that the man would take personal advantage."
"But we were given a choice, Edward," Archie murmured quietly. "We did not... have to comply with the Admiral's wishes."
"And if you had not?" Edward queried, his voice very gentle. "No, my loves, the choice you were given was no choice at all." He sighed. "The man knows of your loyalty... "
Horatio leaned forward and kissed him, his long fingers fluttering over Edward's cheeks and jaw, his tongue wending its way around the other's mouth to claim it for his own.
"By God, sir, you're kisses are enough to wake the dead!" Edward declared when he could get his breath back.
Archie had watched them, a spark of mischief in his blue eyes. Edward glared at him in mock anger.
"And as for you, sir..."
"You mean my kisses, sir?" Archie queried in most innocent manner.
"Yes, damn it, I mean your kisses - and I... fear that I am in need of reminding!" Edward murmured.
Like Horatio, Archie kissed him deeply, his tongue deliberately licking at Edward's and playing with it, lips voluptuously sucking and sliding against their counterparts.
As Archie's mischievous blue eyes met his, Edward smiled at him, stroking his cheeks. When he spoke his voice was soft and very intimate. "My sweetest Archie, your kisses turn a spark to an inferno!" Archie grinned shamelessly. "Now, where was I?" he wondered, thoroughly distracted from his subject.
"Um, I think it was loyalty," Horatio supplied, stroking Edward's cheek and smoothing his dark hair.
"Ah, yes, loyalty. As I was saying, the man knows of your loyalty; I only pray that he has not deduced the depth of your feelings for me, though I confess that, were I in his shoes, I should most certainly have discerned it."
"You fear that he will use this knowledge against us? Or against you?" Horatio queried, unable to keep the anxiety out of his voice.
"It... is a concern, but let us not jump to conclusions yet."
"But you are worried," Archie accused.
Edward nodded, not attempting to hide his fears from them for it would be as well that they were on their guard. They knew him far too well anyway.
"I confess that, had the invitation been only for myself, as is the normal custom, I would not have a care... but..." He sighed. "My dears, we are likely fretting unnecessarily. No doubt there will be other officers present."
"And if there are not?" Horatio queried. "Edward, what if we are the only guests?"
"Then we shall cross that bridge when we come to it," Edward stated with resolution.
"Edward?" The blue depths of Archie's eyes gazed openly at him. "Edward, whatever happens, or does not happen; whatever the man wants of us, if indeed he should have the audacity to speak of such to you, agree to it."
"Archie is right, Edward," Horatio concurred. "You must agree. He outranks you."
"My dears, I fear we are making a mountain out of a molehill by worrying over nothing at all. Now we shall go to dinner with Admiral Briggs and we shall behave as decorum dictates for officers and gentlemen. The man may be a scoundrel but he would not dare to speak ill of you, nor make unwarranted demands of you, in my presence."
"Of course, Edward," they chorused.
"Good. Then there's an end to the matter."
"And there won't be any of this!" Archie remarked, kissing Edward's cheek to lighten the gloom that had settled over them all.
Edward smiled. "Definitely not."
"Or this," Horatio continued, his hand lowering to fondle his senior officer's firm rear.
"I should say not!"
"Or this!" Archie lightly pressed his lips to Edward's bare neck for he was without his neckerchief and out of uniform.
"Archie, you scoundrel, don't you leave a mark high up before this evening!" Edward warned.
Archie pouted. "But, darling Edward, would I do such a thing?"
"Yes," Edward retorted, "and I ended up tying my neckerchief so tight for fear of it slipping that I damn near strangled!"
Horatio smiled and winked at Archie as their lips fell gently to the tender skin of Edward's neck.
* * *
